It's Been You
by CindyBarnard
Summary: All isn't always as it seems... We can love very unexpected people in very unexpected ways... It sometimes just takes a little incident to open up the possibilities. Half-Blood Prince Drabble Challenge - Hosted by Draco's Den. SS/AB(AT)


_Challenge: Draco's Den - Half Blood Prince _

_Prompt: Pollyjuice - Andromeda/Severus_

**It's Been You**

Andromeda Tonks still remembers the time she met a young Severus Snape the first time. She had been in seventh year at Hogwarts and him in first.

She hadn't really noticed the quiet first year before then if she was quite honest. She only had time for her best friend, Ted Tonks. Oh, and the rest of her attention was taken up by her betrothed, Lucius Malfoy. Her life had been planned since her birth which included a cradle betrothal to the latter. It was the expectation and the norm for the Black's so she didn't spend too much time contemplating.

But Ted was her friend. Despite various issues with the family because of it, yet she remained steadfast in their friendship.

It was as the year was closing right after the final NEWT exam that Severus came into her life.

She had snuck out of her dorm to go and have a quiet moment on top of the Astronomy tower that night when to her surprise Ted joined her. She did notice that he seemed uncomfortable and his clothes seemed a bit out of the ordinary for her muggle-born friend. But at that moment she didn't think too deeply on it and just patted next to her with a smile.

They talked for about an hour, albeit in that time she definitely noticed that he was acting very out of the ordinary and his mannerisms were very different. Andromeda Black had been anything if not very smart and pieced together quickly what was going on. Some seventh years had brewed Polyjuice for their final potions project and she had a sneaking suspicion a prank was underfoot.

So as the hour neared she demanded the student reveal their true identity. To her extreme surprise, Ted changed into a small firstie that she vaguely recognised. Andromeda had prepared herself to berate the prank when the serious young wizard took her into confidence. It wasn't a prank. Instead, it was an elaborate scheme from her betrothed to test her fidelity in regards to her friendship with Ted. And young Severus was chosen by promising him an 'in' with the elite groups.

That was the day Andromeda realised she didn't want the life that was planned. She didn't want to marry someone who couldn't trust her at least. She loved Ted as a friend. Had never considered him as more. But Lucius had just pushed her to make some decisions that she would never even have contemplated. All thanks to Polyjuice and Severus Snape.

A week after school was out she had eloped with her best friend and married him. Successfully earning herself a blast from the Black family tree. Ted remained her best friend right up till his death and she had always been loyal to him as his wife.

They had a good life and she had maintained correspondence with Severus.

At first, she guided him as best she could in navigating his adolescent years. Thankful for his truthfulness that made her escape her life. Then they became each other's most trusted confidants. Followed eventually, years later well after Lord Voldemort being vanquished by baby Potter, by something more. She never admitted her love to him and he never admitted it to her. But they were both very aware of exactly how deep their affection had grown over the years. It was in a touch of a hand or a meet of the eyes. Yet never did they give in to the temptation. She remained loyal to her husband.

Andromeda knew everything about him. His childhood. His father. His mother. Lily. Dumbledore. Everything. Just like he knew everything about her.

Then the war happened again. And well into it, Ted died. Andromeda mourned his loss as her friend and life partner as well as the father of her child, whom she had loved steadily since Hogwarts. But he had never been the love of her life so she knew her mourning was lacking. Yet she buried the guilt as she always had.

His death had been two months ago.

And now Andromeda stood with baby Teddy in her arms processing what had just happened. Dora had just floo'd in and pressed the baby into her arms with a mumbling of having to help Remus at Hogwarts and apparated away.

The cold realisation washed over her.

It must be happening… The culmination of the war. Severus…

Andromeda didn't miss a beat. "Winky!"

Her own elf appeared with a pop and large eyes, Andromeda only handed her the still sleeping infant with a quick command to watch the baby till their return.

XXX

She found him in the boathouse. Bleeding out and flickering in and out of consciousness. With a sob Andromeda sunk to her knees and tried to stem the blood flow with one hand while ruffling through his coat pockets. She knew he always kept essential potions on his person. As she pulled vials out one by one and discarded them upon reading their labels his eyes opened weakly to settle on her.

"–meda… It's been you…" Severus mumbled between pale lips at her.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she still tried to find blood replenishers and stemming the blood flow. She had even started using her wand to close the wound but either she was too distraught and unfocused or the wound resisted her magic. Either way, it only closed a few millimetres at each attempt. "Severus– hold on, I'm trying just hold on… Please–"

He kept looking at her through his heavy-lidded eyes with the smallest smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His shaking hand lifted to her cheek. "It's been you for almost a decade. No one else."

His voice rasped and his hand dropped back down almost immediately while his eyes closed once more. But his words served to ignite a fire within her then. She wasn't going to lose another man in her life. Especially not the love of her life.

And so, with renewed strength and focus she pressed her lips together and started to knit his wound close. All the while noticing the weak flutter of his pulse in the undamaged side of his neck. With a decent Accio she also pulled the correct potions from his pocket and set to work.

She would save him. She will.


End file.
